Editorial: RNAi Based Pesticides

3openInternationalInternational coauthor/editoropenAndrás Székács; Azeddine Si Ammour; Michael L. MendelsohnSzékács, A.; SI AMMOUR, A.; Mendelsohn, M.L

The Grizzly, November 16, 2017

Democrats Sweep Local Elections • Sustainability Office Recognized by the Princeton Review • Bear2Bear Fund Aids Students with Emergency Expenses • UCDC Fall Show, Once Removed, Opens This Thursday • Pride Shines at Ursinus • Build Character, Write Now • Opinions: Student Leaders Must be Better Allies Through Their Actions; Paradise Papers Reveal Unethical Tax Avoidance by Tech Companies • UCXC Finishes Strong • Men\u27s Basketball Picked Fourth in Preseason Pollhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1632/thumbnail.jp

Spending per Medicare Beneficiary Is Higher in Hospital‐Owned Small‐ and Medium‐Sized Physician Practices

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/145215/1/hesr12765.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/145215/2/hesr12765-sup-0001-AppendixSA1.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/145215/3/hesr12765_am.pd

Liquid Medication Errors and Dosing Tools: A Randomized Controlled Experiment

Poorly designed labels and packaging are key contributors to medication errors. To identify attributes of labels and dosing tools that could be improved, we examined the extent to which dosing error rates are affected by tool characteristics (ie, type, marking complexity) and discordance between units of measurement on labels and dosing tools; along with differences by health literacy and language

Assessing the ecological risks from the persistence and spread of feral populations of insect-resistant transgenic maize

One source of potential harm from the cultivation of transgenic crops is their dispersal, persistence and spread in non-agricultural land. Ecological damage may result from such spread if the abundance of valued species is reduced. The ability of a plant to spread in non-agricultural habitats is called its invasiveness potential. The risks posed by the invasiveness potential of transgenic crops are assessed by comparing in agronomic field trials the phenotypes of the crops with the phenotypes of genetically similar non-transgenic crops known to have low invasiveness potential. If the transgenic and non-transgenic crops are similar in traits believed to control invasiveness potential, it may be concluded that the transgenic crop has low invasiveness potential and poses negligible ecological risk via persistence and spread in non-agricultural habitats. If the phenotype of the transgenic crop is outside the range of the non-transgenic comparators for the traits controlling invasiveness potential, or if the comparative approach is regarded as inadequate for reasons of risk perception or risk communication, experiments that simulate the dispersal of the crop into non-agricultural habitats may be necessary. We describe such an experiment for several commercial insect-resistant transgenic maize events in conditions similar to those found in maize-growing regions of Mexico. As expected from comparative risk assessments, the transgenic maize was found to behave similarly to non-transgenic maize and to be non-invasive. The value of this experiment in assessing and communicating the negligible ecological risk posed by the low invasiveness potential of insect-resistant transgenic maize in Mexico is discussed

Effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of vaporized nicotine products versus nicotine replacement therapy for tobacco smoking cessation in a low-socioeconomic status Australian population: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: In Australia, tobacco smoking rates have declined but inequalities remain with significantly higher smoking prevalence among low-socioeconomic populations. Clinical trial data suggest vaporized nicotine products (VNPs) aid smoking cessation. Most VNP trials have used refillable tank systems, but newer generation (pod) devices now comprise the largest market share yet have limited clinical trial evidence on safety and effectiveness. This study evaluates the effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of VNPs (pod and tank device) compared with nicotine replacement therapy ([NRT]—gum or lozenge) for smoking cessation. Methods: This is a two-arm, open-label, superiority, parallel group, randomized controlled trial (RCT) with allocation concealment and blinded outcome assessment. The RCT is conducted at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Participants are people who smoke daily, are interested in quitting and receive a government pension or allowance (N = 1058). Participants will be randomized (1:1 ratio) to receive 8 weeks of free: VNPs, with pod (40 mg/mL nicotine salt) and tank device (18 mg/mL freebase nicotine) in mixed flavours; or NRT (gum or lozenge; 4 mg). All participants will receive daily text message behavioural support for 5 weeks. Assessments will be undertaken by telephone at baseline, with three follow-up calls (two check-in calls within the first month and final follow-up at 7 months post randomization) to ascertain smoking status, treatment adherence and adverse events. The primary outcome is 6-month continuous abstinence verified by carbon monoxide breath test of ≤5ppm at 7-month follow-up. Safety and cost-effectiveness of VNPs versus NRT will also be evaluated. Discussion: Further data are required to strengthen certainty of evidence for VNPs aiding smoking cessation, particularly for newer generation pod devices. To our knowledge, this trial is the first to offer choice of VNPs and no comparative effectiveness trial data exists for new pod devices. If effective, the findings can inform wider implementation of VNPs to aid smoking cessation in a priority group. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12621000076875. Registered on 29 January 2021. https://www.anzctr.org.a

Diabetes and risk of pancreatic cancer: a pooled analysis from the pancreatic cancer cohort consortium

Diabetes is a suspected risk factor for pancreatic cancer, but questions remain about whether it is a risk factor or a result of the disease. This study prospectively examined the association between diabetes and the risk of pancreatic adenocarcinoma in pooled data from the NCI pancreatic cancer cohort consortium (PanScan). The pooled data included 1,621 pancreatic adenocarcinoma cases and 1,719 matched controls from twelve cohorts using a nested case-control study design. Subjects who were diagnosed with diabetes near the time (< 2 years) of pancreatic cancer diagnosis were excluded from all analyses. All analyses were adjusted for age, race, gender, study, alcohol use, smoking, BMI, and family history of pancreatic cancer. Self-reported diabetes was associated with a forty percent increased risk of pancreatic cancer (OR = 1.40, 95 % CI: 1.07, 1.84). The association differed by duration of diabetes; risk was highest for those with a duration of 2-8 years (OR = 1.79, 95 % CI: 1.25, 2.55); there was no association for those with 9+ years of diabetes (OR = 1.02, 95 % CI: 0.68, 1.52). These findings provide support for a relationship between diabetes and pancreatic cancer risk. The absence of association in those with the longest duration of diabetes may reflect hypoinsulinemia and warrants further investigation

High resolution melting analysis for rapid and sensitive EGFR and KRAS mutation detection in formalin fixed paraffin embedded biopsies

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Epithelial growth factor receptor (<it>EGFR</it>) and <it>KRAS </it>mutation status have been reported as predictive markers of tumour response to <it>EGFR </it>inhibitors. High resolution melting (HRM) analysis is an attractive screening method for the detection of both known and unknown mutations as it is rapid to set up and inexpensive to operate. However, up to now it has not been fully validated for clinical samples when formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) sections are the only material available for analysis as is often the case.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We developed HRM assays, optimised for the analysis of FFPE tissues, to detect somatic mutations in <it>EGFR </it>exons 18 to 21. We performed HRM analysis for <it>EGFR </it>and <it>KRAS </it>on DNA isolated from a panel of 200 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) samples derived from FFPE tissues.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All 73 samples that harboured <it>EGFR </it>mutations previously identified by sequencing were correctly identified by HRM, giving 100% sensitivity with 90% specificity. Twenty five samples were positive by HRM for <it>KRAS </it>exon 2 mutations. Sequencing of these 25 samples confirmed the presence of codon 12 or 13 mutations. <it>EGFR </it>and <it>KRAS </it>mutations were mutually exclusive.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This is the first extensive validation of HRM on FFPE samples using the detection of <it>EGFR </it>exons 18 to 21 mutations and <it>KRAS </it>exon 2 mutations. Our results demonstrate the utility of HRM analysis for the detection of somatic <it>EGFR </it>and <it>KRAS </it>mutations in clinical samples and for screening of samples prior to sequencing. We estimate that by using HRM as a screening method, the number of sequencing reactions needed for <it>EGFR </it>and <it>KRAS </it>mutation detection can be reduced by up to 80% and thus result in substantial time and cost savings.</p

Evidence-Based Guidelines for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Women

Significant advances in our knowledge about interventions to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) have occurred since publication of the first female-specific recommendations for preventive cardiology in 1999.1 Despite research-based gains in the treatment of CVD, it remains the leading killer of women in the United States and in most developed areas of the world.2–3 In the United States alone, more than one half million women die of CVD each year, exceeding the number of deaths in men and the next 7 causes of death in women combined. This translates into approximately 1 death every minute.2 Coronary heart disease (CHD) accounts for the majority of CVD deaths in women, disproportionately afflicts racial and ethnic minorities, and is a prime target for prevention.1–2 Because CHD is often fatal, and because nearly two thirds of women who die suddenly have no previously recognized symptoms, it is essential to prevent CHD.2 Other forms of atherosclerotic/thrombotic CVD, such as cerebrovascular disease and peripheral arterial disease, are critically important in women. Strategies known to reduce the burden of CHD may have substantial benefits for the prevention of noncoronary atherosclerosis, although they have been studied less extensively in some of these settings

In Support of a Patient-Driven Initiative and Petition to Lower the High Price of Cancer Drugs

Comment in Lowering the High Cost of Cancer Drugs--III. [Mayo Clin Proc. 2016] Lowering the High Cost of Cancer Drugs--I. [Mayo Clin Proc. 2016] Lowering the High Cost of Cancer Drugs--IV. [Mayo Clin Proc. 2016] In Reply--Lowering the High Cost of Cancer Drugs. [Mayo Clin Proc. 2016] US oncologists call for government regulation to curb drug price rises. [BMJ. 2015